The Nuggets’ five-game win streak didn’t survive with coach Michael Malone and three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic not in New Orleans.
Here are three takeaways from Denver’s 101-94 loss in their first NBA Cup game.
Denver Nuggets without coach Michael Malone, star Nikola Jokic in New Orleans
1. Without Jokic, the Nuggets needed complete games from Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, but neither player delivered. Porter started hot, scoring 20 points on 12 shots in the first half, but finished with 24 points on 18 attempts. The Pelicans effectively made Jamal Murray a distributor for most of the night. Murray had just five points on seven shots at halftime. He found a rhythm late and ended the game with 16 points on as many shots to go with eight assists and six rebounds. A little more consistency from either one could have easily flipped the game in Denver’s favor.
2. Dario Saric’s return to the rotation featured a fair share of positives and negatives. He made three of his four shots inside the arc, but made just one of five attempts from deep to finish with nine points. He grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and dished out five assists, but also committed four turnovers. His last turnover was the most crucial, as it turned what should’ve been a dunk for Christian Braun into a Javonte Green 3 that put the Pelicans up six with just under five minutes to play. That five-point swing helped make the clutch time more comfortable for New Orleans.
Doug Moe ready to hand over Nuggets coaching record to Michael Malone after two more wins
3. Missing Jokic and Aaron Gordon meant more opportunities for players off the bench, but none of the Nuggets’ reserves took advantage. Zeke Nnaji got the back-up center minutes in the first half, but Adelman went with Vlatko Cancar in the second half after the Nuggets lost Nnaji’s 5 minutes and 43 seconds of playing time by 15 points. Denver’s reserves finished 4 of 20 from the field. Julian Strawther and Russell Westbrook led the bench with five points apiece, but Strawther needed six shots to get there, while Westbrook needed eight.
PELICANS 101, NUGGETS 94
What happened: New Orleans closed the first quarter on a 21-4 run to lead by 10 at the start of the second and took a 59-54 advantage at halftime. The Pelicans added a point to the lead in the third quarter and held on to drop Denver to 7-4 on the season.
What went right: Christian Braun was active on defense, and that turned into offensive production. The third-year shooting guard recorded a career-high five steals, and the transition opportunities off those plays helped him finish with 15 points on 12 shots. He added four rebounds and four assists to continue his strong start to the season.
What went wrong: The Pelicans weren’t worried about the roller without Jokic and doubled Jamal Murray frequently, but Denver’s shooters weren’t able to punish that strategy. The Nuggets started the second half 1 of 14 from 3-point range. Denver finished 10 for 37 (27%) from deep.
Highlight of the night: On a night Jamal Murray’s shot wasn’t falling early, he found other ways to make an impact. In the third quarter, Murray snuck up on Trey Murphy III and poked the ball free. After a scramble, Murray secured possession and ran the break, which finished with an alley-oop feed to Michael Porter Jr. for a dunk.
Up next: The Nuggets play the first of two games against the Grizzlies in Memphis on Sunday.
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